Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to power tools used for cutting work pieces, and more specifically relates to sliding miter saws.
Description of the Related Art
During construction, manufacturing, and assembly operations, pieces of material such as wood, plastic, and metal (i.e. work pieces) must be cut to exact lengths, shapes, and dimensions. In many instances, power equipment and saws are used for cutting these work pieces. One type of saw, commonly referred to as a miter saw, has a cutting blade, a motor for driving the cutting blade, a horizontally-extending table, and a vertically-extending fence that cooperates with the table to support the work pieces during cutting operations. The horizontally-extending table provides a horizontal support surface for the work pieces, and the fence provides a vertical support surface for the work pieces. The cutting blade of a conventional miter saw is rotatable about a vertically-extending axis for making vertical cuts at various angles relative to the vertical support surface of the fence. These vertical cuts are typically referred to as miter cuts.
In many designs, the work piece-supporting fence is divided into two parts that are separated from one another by a gap, and the cutting blade is adapted to pass through the gap during a cutting operation. Each of the two fence parts has a vertically-extending support surface, and the two support surfaces lie in a common plane. The two fence parts may be movable relative to one another for adjusting the gap space between the two fence parts.
In addition to conventional miter saws used to make vertical cuts, there are other types of miter saws that are used to make even more complex cuts. For example, a compound miter saw has a cutting blade that may be tilted at an angle relative to the horizontally-extending table, generally from 0 degrees to 45 degrees left of vertical. A cut made with the blade tilted at an angle to the horizontally-extending table, while remaining perpendicular to the front face of the fence, is known as a “bevel cut.” A cut made with the blade set at an angle relative to the front face of the fence (miter angle) and at an angle relative to the base (bevel angle) is known as a “compound cut.”
Another type of miter saw is commonly referred to as a dual bevel compound miter saw, which has a tiltable structure that enables the cutting blade to be positioned at a range of angles relative to the table from 45 degrees left of vertical to 45 degrees right of vertical. This arrangement allows for even more “compound cut” variations.
Still another type of miter saw is a slide miter saw including a rail system that enables the saw component to slide backward and forward over the table so as to increase the saw's cutting capabilities (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 6,067,885). Like non-sliding miter saws, slide miter saws have a base, a rotatable table attached to the base, a saw assembly including a motor, and a blade driven by the motor. The saw assembly is coupled with the table through a pivot arm that enables the saw assembly to be pivoted downwardly toward the table for cutting a work piece disposed on the table.
In some instances, an operator may want to limit or stop sliding movement of the cutting assembly between the front and rear ends of the table. For example, DE 3 744 716 discloses a circular saw for a wood working bench having a cutting assembly that is connected with guide rails that enable the cutting assembly to slide in forward and rear directions relative to a cutting surface of a table. The circular saw includes a housing having openings through which the guide rails are adapted to slide. The guide rails are stopped from sliding by a locking element that engages one of the slide rails. When it is desired to once again slide the cutting assembly forwardly or rearwardly, the locking element may be loosened.
EP 1 419 862 discloses a sliding compound miter saw having a latch hook provided on the cutting assembly and a latch post provided on a support housing for sliding guide rails. When the cutting assembly is near the support housing, the cutting assembly can be latched to the housing by engaging the latch post with the latch hook. After the latch is engaged with the latch post, the latch mechanism prevents a user from sliding the cutting assembly toward the forward end of the miter saw. When desired, the latch hook can be de-coupled from the latch post to once again permit forward sliding movement of the cutting assembly.
In spite of the above advances, there remains a need for improved sliding miter saws having sliding rail stop features for maximizing cutting operations. There also remains a need for sliding miter saws that make it easier for operators to know when the cutting assembly is properly positioned for properly cutting different types and sizes of work pieces.